PARIS: India's Sriram Balaji and Mexico's Miguel Reyes-Varelas topped the men's doubles first round clash between alternates at Roland Garros.
The Indo-Mexican pairing put out American Reese Stalder and Dutchman Sem Verbeek. 6-3, 6-4 in just under 80-minutes.
Balaji and Reyes-Varelas will play wildcard entrants Theo Arribage and Dan Added of France in the second round.
In another first round match, Yuki Bhambri and Frenchman Albano Olivetti bowed 3-6, 6-7 (5) to Aussie John Peers and Russian Roman Safiullin (Rus) after a spirited fightback in the second set.
Cheered on by a small contingent of Indians, including Rohan Bopanna and coach M Balachandran, Bhambri and Olivetti came back from a break down in the second set, breaking Peers and Safiullin when they were serving for the match.
In the tie-break the Indo-French pair had chances, but Peers and Safiullin held firm when it mattered.
Earlier the skies had opened up, forcing play to be suspended, Peers and Safiullin led 5-2.
Bhambri and Olivetti played with greater purpose when play resumed some 80-minutes later.
Meanwhile all the excitement around two India No.1s, singles and doubles - Sumit Nagal and Rohan Bopanna - facing off in the doubles draw came to naught when Nagal and Austria's Sebastian Ofner withdrew from the competition
Bopanna and Aussie Matt Ebden will now take on alternates, Brazil's Orlando Luz and Marcelo Zormann.
